


Dreams

by donato



Category: Emergency!
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-12
Updated: 2017-02-12
Packaged: 2018-09-23 17:43:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9669314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/donato/pseuds/donato
Summary: The subconscious comes out to play while the men of A shift sleep on.





	

All was quiet. Thirty minutes earlier various sounds came from the dorm and latrine as six men in various stages of undress and doing their night time ablutions went about their business in getting ready for bed. One by one the weary men made their way to the bunks. It had been a busy shift and all were feeling the effects of a three alarm structure fire. Luckily no one was inside the building so Roy and Johnny were pulling hose for over four hours and then there was the hour looking for hot spots and tearing down any potential fire hazards that might start the inferno again - not that there was much left to burn. Two hours into the fighting of the beast an explosion set the flames shooting sixty feet into the air and the battalion chief ordered a surround and drown. It was obvious that the fire was getting away on them. The paramedics from Station 45 were doing triage. They had treated several firemen and one paramedic AKA Johnny Gage for heat exhaustion. 

Luckily the engine wasn’t called out again but the squad attended four further call outs for minor injuries that didn’t require any follow up. So at 2200 hours the cap called lights out. Even Chet didn’t put up a fight even though 'Invasion of the Mutant Ants' was screening later that night. A movie made by one of Chet's favorite movie producers. He hated to admit it but he was just too darn tired to watch anything. He was secretly impressed that Gage was still on his feet given how he had been overcome with heat exhaustion four and a half hours into the three alarmer and then had those other call outs and had missed lunch and dinner. He personally would have been collapsed on the floor of the squad if he was in Gage's shoes. 

Gage was the last one into the latrine having made a sandwich and scoffed it down in record time followed by two large glasses of cold milk. Roy had put two aspirins and a salt tablet out for him next to his bed with a glass of water. He knew Johnny was starving and nursing a pretty good headache from the heat exhaustion and lack of food from earlier. 

"Thanks Roy." Johnny quietly said to his partner as his eyes saw the gift on his side of their shared bedside cabinet. 

By 2230 hours the lights were out in the latrine and dorm. The men had found a comfortable position and had succumbed to sleep within minutes. Henry was fast asleep on the couch and apart from the occasional snuffling and drool escaping the side of his mouth all was quiet in the station. 

CAP  
Cap was on a big white sailing ship with sails stretched taut against the wind and cutting a fine pace against the water. Dolphins were up by the bow and playing in the waves and the wake made by the ship. He was tilting his face to the sun to feel its warm embrace on his skin. His wife had just come up from the galley and placed a platter of sliced sweet succulent tropical fruit on a raised platform that doubled for a table. She called out to her family that lunch was ready. She made her way back towards the galley to get the lemonade and glasses. Cap snagged her wrist as she walked past him and she snuggled in close to his side with her arm around his waist looking at the sun skittering across the ripples in the water. 

It was a glorious day and his twin girls were sunbathing on the deck talking of their latest crushes on Richard Thomas and David Cassidy. Each one believing that their latest favorite idol was better than their twin and spent most of the time trying to playfully outdo each others’ arguments. This was the life Cap thought as he hugged his wife closer to him and removing his arm from the steering wheel, enfolded his wife and kissed her passionately under the beating sun. No work, no worries, just the family living off tropical fruits and food they encountered as they explored the south pacific ocean. Stopping off at various islands as the whim and their need for supplies, takes them. Life doesn’t get much better than this. 

MIKE  
Mike was snoring softly into his pillow. He was returning to his house. The crusade he had left his wife and child for two years ago had ended and he was returning a valiant warrior and had been bestowed a favorable title and was now a nobleman of great wealth and land. He couldn't wait to tell his wife - eventually. He had other priorities to deal with first with his beloved wife. 

As his steed crested the rise and went to go down the other side, Mike pulled his horse to a stop. Sweat was beading on his forehead as he looked out to the land before him. His land now. He was close to home. His memories were opening up to him with familiarity spurring on other visions yet to be seen. They were huddled in the recesses of his mind and soon he was to see them again and compare them to when he had last seen them. Were the trees that big when he had left and the grass so green and lush. Funny he had paid no attention to them then but now they were occupying his attention more than they ought. 

He registered where he was and how far he had left to travel. Another day maybe two upon his horse and he would be wrapped in his Lucy's arms. His son would be four now. Would he still know him. Even though he had stood by his principles and fought alongside his King, he had lost more than he had gained. Two years away from your family was time lost forever. Never to be recaptured, never to be caught up. He sat up straighter on his saddle and ensuring his plate armor across his chest was setting right he gave the reins a quick flick and set off into the valley and let his mind wander to the welcome his wife would give him and the surprise he would be giving her. 

MARCO  
Marco was smiling in his sleep. He was surrounded by his family and they were preparing a feast. His mother was making tamales and Lolita and Maria had made a couple of salsa’s and were now preparing the corn. Enrico, his brother, had the pig on the spit and was slowly turning it over the hot coals. Marita, Susanna, Antonio, and Carmelita where keeping the younger children entertained and away from the kitchen and the spit. Marco was making his chili and Carmelita was popping in seeing to her chicken and chocolate mole sauce dish. Franco arrived and put all the drinks into the fridge in the garage as the kitchen fridge was full. He then went and started up the fairy lights and torches to be lit later in the evening.

The next scene had the family sitting around the tables outside festooned with food and drink while the guests of honor where escorted into their seats at the head of the table. Marcos’ grandparents were celebrating 60 years of wedded bliss. Today was a day for celebrating their happy and long marriage with family, food, wine, singing and dancing. The mariachi band was seated away fro the table and had claimed a small corner of the garden to be their stage. It was a day when years from now memories would resurface and make you smile and remember those past with fondness and happy tears. Marco sighed in his sleep, murmured his thanks to God for a good life in Spanish and then rolled onto his side.

CHET  
Chet was snoring his head off. He was having one of his recurring dreams. He was sitting in a booth, at the back of a sleazy diner. Mama’s Diner flashed on and off in neon lights. Pity the N wasn’t working, but then it never had as long as Chet had been coming here. This wasn’t a place that he would chose but his contact liked it so here is where he came. Chet wanted to keep his contact happy. He had proved very useful to him in the past. If Chet was to upset him he didn’t know anybody else who could fill his requests with no questions asked. Having driven for 40 miles outside of the LA district to this backwater of a town Chet waited for the man to show up. Sipping at a badly brewed cup of coffee and wishing he had had the foresight to bring a thermos of coffee with him - must do it next time he thought to himself not for the first time. Chet waited. He was growing impatient, he had been here for an hour already and was getting strange looks from the waitresses. He was tempted to go but his addiction was to strong and only the man could feed it

He didn’t want everyone to know of this vice. God, how would he live up to the ridicule and looks of pity among his fellow firefighters if they knew. Oh, the shame of it all! Chet was lost in these thoughts when his contact sat in the opposite seat in the booth.

“Do you have the money?” the man asked. 

“Yes. Do you have the goods?” replied Chet.

The man nodded and surreptitiously pulled out a long parcel wrapped in tissue paper and bubble wrap. He slid it over to Chet who opened it there and then. It’s not that he didn’t trust this man but that his eagerness needed to be quenched. He had to see it now, he couldn’t wait anymore. He had dreamed of this moment. There in all its glory was Hodge’s Spur Rowel Wheel Barb on Twisted Lines. A fine specimen it was too. It would go well on his barbed wire collection board. Chet gave out a long low whistle and sat back admiring the barbed wire with his eyes while his hands were drawn to the tactile surfaces of the little spur wheels. With revered adoration Chet picked up the newest piece to add to his collection and with a small tear in his eye he thanked the man in front of him. 

“I have another contract for you. As usual I will make it worth your while. Are you interested?” asked Chet. The man nodded and Chet leaned over the table and pushed an envelope across to the man. Inside was payment for the Hodge’s rowel spur barbed wire and an order for Utter Spiked Cylinder. 

”I’ll be in touch” said the man as he pocketed the money and walked away.

JOHNNY  
Johnny was excited with a hint of fear or fearful with a hint of excitement, he hadn't worked it out yet. His hair was clinging to his sweaty brow. His clothes were slightly damp from the heat and humidity and closeness of the other like minded people in the tunnel. His heart was beating hard against his chest and his stomach was doing flip flops when he thought about it. Every step brought him closer to the denouement. He had no idea how he would cope. He had watched people that had been there before him while he waited. Some had tossed their cookies, some were shaken and pale, others were beaming and looked alive with their eyes, bright and wide, pupils dilated. Which class would Johnny fall into he didn’t know but hoped it was the latter.

He had heard about this. Gosh, he’d even seen it and studied it before he got the nerve to do it. Now he was moments away from the end. It was too late to back out. He couldn’t back out now; he’d told everyone he was going to do it. They all thought him mad. His pride was at stake. C’mon Gage, you do things like this all the time he said to himself. Yeah but you have safety belts and trained men at the ready his other self was saying. Shuffling along he realized it was too late. The group in front of him had been ushered through and he was the first in line for the next group. He swallowed dryly. It was too late to leave now and look a coward in front of all these strangers. He didn't have too long to wait before his moment of courage or cowardice was upon him. The attendants led him through a narrow walkway which opened up to a platform. He was advised to put his sunglasses into a row of boxes on the other side of his nemesis - The Tower Of Terror car was in front of him and he had to move as he was holding all the other adventure park goers up. He walked through the car and placed his sunglasses and wallet in the box and then resumed his seat on the car that would show him what he was made of.

By luck or misfortune he was in the front row. Oh man this is great. There’s nothing to stop me from seeing it all. He sat in the seat and the attendant clipped him in with the over the head shoulder bars. He was in so tightly he felt like a sardine. He could see the red light ahead of him in the tunnel and thought that is where they would be going. Next minute they were off and to his amazement they went backwards and not forwards. Within seconds they had traveled up the tower and where now perched 200 feet vertically up in the air looking straight down to the ground. He could see the rails they had just traveled at great speed and people walking from one ride to the next and the hot food stands. His head was cushioned by the shoulder bars and he couldn't turn his head and the little bit that he could see from looking out the side of his eyes was just the thick padding and metal of the bars. The momentum and gravity had propelled him to be pushed hard against the shoulder bars and he couldn’t breathe.

The carriage sat frozen in the air for what felt like seconds but Johnny knew it was only 10 seconds as he had timed it when on the ground watching it as he silently queued with his fellow passengers. I’m going to die he thought as he couldn’t get air into his lungs. By the time we get back down there will just be a dead guy in the front seat and nobody will know who I am. Oh, God. I can’t breathe. I have to get back down but I don’t want to. We are moving again, we are going down. I don’t wanna see. Close my eyes. That’s better. NO!!! I’m gonna be sick, open ya eyes. Can’t focus. Ohhh, don’t feel good. Glad I haven’t eaten otherwise I’d be tossing my cookies about now. We’re down, thank god, we’re down. I CAN BREATHE, I’m not dead. Oh, thank God. Well I didn’t enjoy that much. Won’t be doing it again but at least I can say I did it. I feel a bit shaky, think I’ll just sit in the shade for a bit. Ohh, whats that? The Giant Drop, a 570 foot vertical drop. Looks interesting. Lots of screaming. Wonder how bad that one is. Well only one way to find out…. 

Johnny’s bed was in disarray and his pillow had fallen to the floor. He had had a very enthusiastic ride on the Motocross and Buzzsaw, not to mention the water ride before venturing to the Tower of Terror. 

ROY  
Roy observed his best friends state of the bed. He was laying diagonally across the bed, his arm outstretched and hanging off the bed, his pillow on the floor. Looks like you’re having a bad dream too. He waited a while but Johnny lay peacefully still and no words escaped his lips. His eyes where moving under his lids. Well thought Roy, can’t be as bad as I thought. He picked up Johnny’s pillow and placed it next to him. Johnny didn’t stir.

Roy made his way into the latrine and having emptied his bladder and splashed cold water against his face he made his way into the kitchen. Opening the fridge he saw nothing to whet his appetite so he put on a fresh pot of coffee. He figured he was gonna be up for a while. He still felt disturbed and not back to right after his nightmare.

Jenny had been stuck in a hole in the ground and he was trying to get her out. The more he tried the more she fell into the hole. Joanne was screaming at Roy to save their daughter and Chris was crying and clinging to his mothers’ skirt. It was real pandemonium. Joanne was yelling to him to call for help and get the nearest fire station here. Roy was saying he could do it and didn’t need any help. When he turned back to the hole little Jenny was gone. His hands were empty. He started clawing at the earth that had fallen into the hole, trying to find his daughter. She was nowhere to be found. He called out her name but his cries went unanswered. Joanne looked at him with such contempt and disgust. He knew he had lost something very important in their love for each other at that moment. Chris was inconsolable. He realized his little sister was gone and his daddy had not stopped it. 

On the brink of screaming in despair for all that he had lost, Roy woke up with a start. He was drenched in sweat, his heart was heavy and aching with the grief of a newly bereaved father. He sat there for a moment getting his breathing and thoughts under control. He didn’t realize that he was crying and that silent tears were coursing down his face. It was only a dream. It wasn’t real. Part of him felt huge relief when he realized that. But another part of him was worried. Why did he dream that? Was it an omen? Had he blended a rescue into his own fears for his family? All he could think of was that little girl in the hole that he and Johnny spent hours digging a tunnel to, to help get her out and then Wheeler had taken the credit. That had happened ages ago – could it possibly be that and if so why was it only rearing its’ ugly head now and not when it happened. Roy didn’t know. So he sat at the kitchen table musing over his dream trying to find a place to put it where it wouldn’t leave him rattled for days and its significance if there was any would fade away over time.

The morning klaxons went off and the men of station 51 stirred and stretched in their beds before fumbling into their turnouts and making their way to the latrine or kitchen. Johnny noticed that Roy's bed was empty and thought he had just got up given how tired they all were from the day before. Making his way into the kitchen via the latrine he was surprised to see his partner with his arms folded on the table cushioning his head. The sound of gentle snores coming out every so often.

“Don’t even think about it Chet.” warned Johnny as Chet was approaching with a cup of cold water. Johnny knew from past experiences that when Roy had nightmares he always went to the kitchen to have a coffee and try to work out the bad dream and that is what he presumed had happened now. 

He gently shook Roy’s shoulder and called his name. “Hey pally, time to wake up.”

Roy tiredly lifted his head and looked at his surroundings. “Guess I fell asleep.” he said before straightening up in the chair and thanking Mike for the hot coffee placed in front of him. He still wasn’t at ease when he thought of his dream but it was private and he knew that in time it would fade away back into the realms of his subconscious. 

Cap walked in having answered a ringing phone in his office. “So what’s everyone gonna do on their days off?” he asked.

The End.


End file.
